


Paradise: One More Chance

by FictionWriterD



Series: Paradise [6]
Category: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26529571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionWriterD/pseuds/FictionWriterD
Summary: What happens when you're given an opportunity to make the best of a situation that you thought you had lost? / VincentLucrecia fluff, intending it to be bittersweet the further it goes, maybe a lemon in later chapters
Relationships: Lucrecia Crescent/Vincent Valentine
Series: Paradise [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561291
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

A nightmare about death and destruction, hardship and loss, and plenty more death.

Such a nightmare would be hard on anyone with a stable mind, but for Vincent Valentine it was a nightly ordeal. Such as it was it made sleep a challenge.

Still he tried, it seemed it was all he could do to maintain his sanity.

He shifted in his sleep and he felt like he was lying on uneven ground. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in an entirely different place than he was before. He had been in a cave before and now he was in a fancy white room. From where he lay he saw the end board of a large bed, a small circular wooden table with two chairs, and an open set of glass doors leading outside surrounded with white curtains. The curtains were flowing in a light breeze, while the sound of the ocean reached Vincent's ears, followed by the scent of salt water.

"What is this...?"

His eyes closed once again, his mind beginning to feel overwhelmed by what was going on when he felt a delicate touch on his cheek. He opened his eyes again and after turning his head to look towards the ceiling, Vincent saw a hauntingly familiar face looking down at him.

"Good morning Mr. Valentine," said Lucrecia Crescent with a smile.

The shock that went through Vincent's body was like he had been electrocuted. He sat up quickly and had he the room he would have leapt out of the bed. Instead he stood off to the side of the bed and got a good look at her, and within seconds his fears were dashed. It was her all right, from the long auburn hair tied in back with a yellow ribbon to the white dress he had seen her wear in the mako cave. The voice too...it sent a shiver through his body remembering how familiar it was to him. There was no doubt about it. This was indeed Lucrecia.

"How...are you here?"

She was sitting on the bed, her hands on her lap where just a moment ago Vincent's head had been laying, and looking as if she didn't know what he was implying. "What do you mean?"

Was she playing dumb? Last time Vincent checked Lucrecia had been absorbed into a crystal made of mako energy, a sort of limbo where she would remain for all eternity. Vincent knew there was no way she could be here, unless this was a crazy dream that was being played out to torment him.

"This must be a dream..."

The smile faded from her beautiful face, like he had struck a sensitive spot.

"What makes you think that?"

Deciding to play his cards carefully, Vincent spoke, "...let's just say that I had a nightmare, and that right now what I am seeing seems too good to be real."

He had chosen his words carefully, now it was up to Lucrecia to answer.

She got up from the bed and walked around it, the dress she wore dragging on the red carpet, and she stopped in front of him. Looking into his crimson eyes, she reached for his cheek again. Vincent panicked and reached for the pistol on his right hip. Lucrecia didn't stop, her hand graced his skin. Her touch was warm, sensual, but most important it had been real. She was real.

"That must have been a horrible experience," she said, seeming oblivious to his shock.

Vincent took a step back and brought his right hand to his face. He did still not believe this was real. This woman shouldn't be here, and yet here she was, acting like the last fifty years between them hadn't happened.

"Vincent?"

He looked at her. she was genuinely concerned by his behavior.

However, as Vincent wondered if he was dreaming or perhaps going insane, something about this whole situation seemed oddly pleasant. He couldn't quite put it to words, but in his mind, this felt right.

He decided to be careful, and keep that good feeling going. "I uh...just had to gather myself. Sorry to worry you...Lucrecia."

Her smile returned, and Vincent's spirit seemed to be rejuvenated by that. "That's good, Vincent. I'm glad."

A set of knocks at the entrance door got both their attentions, but Lucrecia was the first to respond, "I'll get that."

As Lucrecia walked to the door Vincent couldn't take his eyes off her, like he was afraid that if he did she would vanish. She came back with a moogle pushing a cart behind her. The cart had a few silver plate dishes with various breakfast meals on them.

"Kupo! Mog's Resort Room Service has arrived to give you breakfast, kupo."

'Resort?' Vincent figured that was the name of the place he was in, and it sounded like a place near Costa del Sol. However, he had a feeling that this wasn't the case. Moogles didn't look like that back home, least not to his knowledge.

Lucrecia didn't seem worried. "Thank you." She took a seat at the table and got herself ready to eat.

The moogle himself seemed pleased, "I'll be back in an hour to pick the cart up, please enjoy yourselves until then, as well as enjoy the rest of your stay here, kupo!"

As the moogle left, Vincent took a seat next to Lucrecia. Not feeling hungry as his mind still had trouble digesting what he was seeing. He still had this insatiable wanting to just accept what was going on.

Lucrecia smiled at him and offered him a plate, and he accepted it.


	2. Chapter 2

Hard as it would be normally Vincent tried to avoid getting too close to Lucrecia. Though she was physically the woman he had loved and that she was real to his touch and she had spoken to him like she normally would he was still cautious. His mind still had an idea that this was just a nightmare or some illusion, and thus he tried to remain stoic though not heartless towards her.

That had been his plan even after they had left the resort and went out onto the island.

Even after the Mog's Blessing spell was sued, he stuck to it.

However, he hadn't taken into account what the spell had done until he had gone to the jungle. A little stream went by along the path he had walked. He stopped walking and looked into the water, and the face he had seen he didn't immediately recognize. His outfit had changed his red cloak and black leather replaced with a black tank top and red and black swim pants. His hair was still the same which covered half of his face, though without the collar he wore around his neck his face was more exposed.

The reflection in the water reminded him of his days of being a Turk, though that was a very long time ago.

He stood up and went on the trail, finding a spot under a thick limbed tree and he laid down on the soft grass in the shade. Feeling like he needed time to clear his head, Vincent closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened them he saw Lucrecia smiling down at him. He sat up quickly, "Lucrecia?"

"So this is where you've been," she said, her hands behind her back and not appearing to be upset with him. "I wondered where you walked off to when we left our room." She looked up at the tree and then around the surrounding area. "Except for the tropical climate, I'd say this reminds me of the Shinra Manor facility, don't you?"

Vincent watched her, and it was then he saw that her outfit was different. The moogles magic worked for her as well, turning her previous outfit into a summer one consisting of a strapless bikini top that was colored grey and a long flowing skirt that was loose around her hips. She was also barefoot, which Vincent noticed when she went to sit down next to him. Her hair was still tied up in the back, though the ribbon was deep red now instead of yellow.

He looked away from her, not wanting to look her in the eyes, he felt he might crumble if he did. "…I see you've changed. The moogles did that I take it?"

"They did, and after spending so much time in a lab, this feeling of being free is very satisfying."

Vincent got up to his feet and turned to her, "Lucrecia, I've tried to figure this out on my own but I can't find an answer. I wanted to accept this but I just can't…" He was filled to the brim with doubts and it was starting to overflow, he had to express it before he went on. "How are you here? You were absorbed into the Lifestream, and you were placed in a mako crystal. That's where you've been ever since you—" he stopped, he couldn't tell her about her apparent suicide attempt. The words could not form in his mind, especially whenever she was smiling. "Since we last met."

Lucrecia lowered her head, and for a moment Vincent thought she would not answer him. To his surprise, she did.

"I…am not sure of how it happened either." She raised her eyes to look at Vincent, and she got to her feet. She walked forward, not looking him in the eyes. She stopped short of the stream. "I remember all that happened in my life. From when I was a child, when I joined the company, the experiments in Nibelheim—" She took a deep breath and looked down at the water at her feet, "To the day we met, and all that happened afterwards. I also remember trying to kill myself, and failing to do so. Filled with despair and regret all I wanted was to hide from the world. I closed my eyes to hide the shame."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "When I opened my eyes again, the first person I saw…was you." She turned her body to face him. "I thought I had been given a second chance at happiness…I didn't want to question it, and so I just went along with it."

She stepped back into the stream, the surface of the water catching the end of her skirt.

"I know you're confused, Vincent, as am I. However, I am willing to accept this for as long as I am able…just to be with you."

Vincent took a step forward, "Lucrecia…"

She gave a weak smile, her feelings no doubt going through a roller coaster of a ride in her heart. "I'll let you have some time to think things through…until then, I'll wait for you."

She turned and walked away, leaving Vincent alone in the jungle.


End file.
